Question about Indy cars

I think these cars only have a few gears, not very many. That's why when they lose momentum or draft, it can mean losing so many places.

A one point some hapless driver went to the back of the field when he got it wrong, passed by 14 cars.

I'll call AJ when he cools down, and ask!!!

 

Actually, they do have alot of gears, six I believe. They do shift in and out of corners, but usually only one gear up or down, depends on how they have the car set up.

There is very little braking when they are not running in traffic. Ocal racing is all about momentum, if you screw up and lose momentum it can take a lap or two to get back up to speed.

Indy cars and drivers are generally regarded as inferior to road racers and the like, but the truth is it takes a great deal of concentration and stamina, not to mention skill to drive flat out at 230 mph, in traffic (sometimes 3 or 4 wide).

It can be great racing.

 

I think they have about the same amount of gears as a F1 car (F1 7, IRL 6).

From watching the Indy 500 and having driven an IRL car at the Joliet Speedway I'd say you downshift one gear at the most before going into a turn. You don't brake (unless you have to because of passing/incident), but you lift. Basically you come in high, take the car down to the apex and ride out high again.

In essence it is a very different game than F1 where you brake, steer in (or do that at the same time depending on driving style), hit the apex and accelerate out. In oval racing you try to preserve the momentum and you steer and lift without braking. The trick is to keep the maximum speed through the turn without touching the wall. You do this at high speeds and even a wide track becomes a narrow strip of concrete.

 

I think all of the IRL cars are running a 6 speed X-trac gearbox. When up to speed in the old days they used 5th and 6th where 6th was more of an overdrive gear to save on fuel.

This year with the new 3.0 liter engine rule they are having to use 4th thru 6th gears. 4th is used to help pass another car comming out of the draft.

As for the honda IRL vs F1 engine??? it is compairing Apples to bricks not even in the same league. The F1 motor is a V-10 revs to 18,000 + and runs on Gasoline. The IRL motor is a V-8 revs to less than 11,000 and burns methanol, Must use wire valve springs, no titanium in the engine other than the valves.

The IRL motor is closer in design to a car DOHC V-8 than a pure race engine.

 

Yes. Touching the wall is bad!! AJ says: "Don't get so close to the wall!!!!!!"
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HOPEFULLY F1 will switch to V-8 engines in a couple of years as well. That would make me happy having a V-8 in my car. Of course race and street engines are miles apart, but "identifying" with a V-10 is really a stretch.

From that perspective I think the IRL actually has an advantage over F1 in regards to its fan base.

 

The F1 V-8 will be nothing more than a V-10 with 1 row of cylinders cut off. The redesign will not be much different that what we are currently using other than the spacing of the firing order of the rows of cylinders since most F-1 motors are nothing more than 5 V-Twin motors conected to a single crankshaft.

Car engines the firing order is all over the place. where as the order on Ferrari's 049 engine was front row L then right then row 5 then rows 2, 3 then 4

 

I'm not challenging your technical argument (which is very interesting). I'm just saying, that from a marketing perspective I prefer a V-8 F1 than a V-10. Even a V-12 would be cool, it's just that I don't know of any street car with 10 cylinders.

 

IRL uses paddle shifters, so similar to F1.

Honda is actually doing pretty well in F1. They used to dominate in the late eighties and won several WCs and now that they took stronger control of BAR are getting podiums, not bad.

 

Viper, Gallardo....

 

I had the Gallardo in the back of my mind. But actually I'm thinking about current F1 manufacturers with V-10 engines (e.g. Merc, BMW etc). And the Viper wouldn't really qualify for the Jaguar group, wouldn't it?

 

Also, the NEW BMW M5!

 

The F1 teams met recently and proposed switching to V8's. I believe only BMW objected. Hmmm... Maybe that has to do with the fact that BMW is going to introduce a Formula 1 derived V-10 in the new M5 & M6. BMW should relax. I think that driving enthusiasts will still want to buy the M5/M6 even if Formula One changes engine configurations in the future.

 

Actually, no. They do use a sequential tranny, but they do not shift with paddles, but with a stick to the right of the wheel.

My wife works for Marlboro Team Penske, so I get to see these cars up close.

 

I heard BMW objecting, but I didn't know about their new car potentially using the V-10. In that case I can actually understand BMW. I thought they were just stubborn, but this gives them a good reason.

I just wish Ferrari had a V-10 somewhere in its line of production cars.

 

Im sure ferrari have looked at the concept of a road V10 engine,it will not share anything with the f1 motor its just not up to road car work,
so they have to start from scratch,if F1 go back to V8 config which they may do due to engine costs im sure im going to miss that V10 noise,the V8 will not make the same music,dont think its just the case of chopping off two cylinders,its all new,it has to go back to the drawing board,if and when we go F1 V8 im sure the costs will go out of control again,

cheers
Dale.